Best Video Card for the G5?

What's the best Video Card I can put in my G5?
Currently I've got a:
Mac Dual 2.7 GHz PowerPC G5, w/4GB DDR SDRAM, and 256 MB total of VRAM. The existing graphics card is the: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT DDL
Thanks!
Matt

Hi,
If you haven't noticed, there are only two choices available from Apple. The nvidia 6600 (slower than yours) and the ATI X800 (similar to yours).
There is a place that flashes Nvidia 7800's from PC to Mac, I installed one the other day and it works perfect in a Quad.
In addition, there was a contract signed last month between XFX and Apple for upgrade video cards for Mac G4's and G5's. It was reported that this merchandise may be available by Summer (nothing definite).
Regards,
Dave

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I'm getting a 2008 Mac Pro, will equip it with 10GB of RAM. What is the best video card for 3D rendering? I've read that the stock ATI 2600 card is woefully inadequate. I've also read that the NVIDIA 8800 card is better for gaming, and has caused some problems anyway. I can't spring for the top-end Quadra card that Apple offers. Are there good, cost-effective options for 3D work? Can I even get a video card on the open market that is not flashed by Apple?

Basically there are only three options available:
1. ATI 2600
2. ATI 1900
3. NVidia 8800
The latter is the best of the three. See benchmark results at Bare Feats.
You cannot use a video card not provided by Apple because they will not work with OS X or the hardware.

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P.S.
Does anyone know how to tell exactly whether a video card is better from another? I mean I can guess a video card at 1792MB is going to be better then one at 512MB, but I've also heard that, for example, the ATI Radeon HD 4870 512MB is better then the NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 512MB, and apple charges more for it so it probably is better, but all that tells me is the name of the cards, and that they are both at 512MB, so from that without any other information I would assume they're exactly the same just made by different companies, but there must be some other details that would explain why it's better right? Thanks in advance

Well I found out the Quadro FX 4800 works on it, that looks pretty good.
It's a good card, but it has a different application focus.
What applications do you use?
Answering that helps determine what the best card is.
The 5800 is better though, will it work?
Better, how?
The spec's read better?
How about real world performance?
Benchmarks?
They are very similar in shape and such.
Shape has little to do with anything.
The ROM is the key.
If the card is not produced as "OS X compatible", it does not have Mac ROM and cannot be used.
If there is a Mac edition that is similar (same GPU series, similar architecture) the ROM may be flashed to Mac ROM.
Especially in Geforce cards, the ability to edit ROMs and even write portions of the ROM is necessary to be able to flash a card.
Even then, no guarantees.
Often a port on a flashed card won't work after flashing.
Seems the 5800 has a 10 bit display port, so if the card were flashable, the display port wouldn't work.
The ROM chip size of a card is also of concern.
Many cards require either a new, larger ROM chip to accept the Mac ROM (soldering), or, require a hacked, "reduced" ROM to be written to allow flash.
Invariably, there will be some feature loss with a reduced ROM, but a good hacker usually gets rid of superfluous stuff.
Cards with more VRAM than the Mac counterpart will often times lose the extra VRAM- it won't be read by OS X.
Then there is the EFI question, which often creates a final stumbling block for converting a card.
There are many pioneers who flash cards.
If a card is flashable, it has already been done.
The Quadro 4500, 4800, and 5600 have all been worked out.
As of yet, the 5800 hasn't been sussed out for flash (as far as I can find).
Flashing the card is easy.
Finding a physically compatible card and a compatible ROM are the hard parts.
The two best retail cards for the Mac Pro are the Geforce GTX 285 and the Radeon HD 4870.

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I sort of rambled, but if any informed CS4 users can help answer the question regarding the best video card for general CS4 editing use (not 3d/compositing stuff) I'd love to get more insight.

So in Media Encoder CS4, I tried encoding one of the clips that plays back the least smooth in the Premiere timeline (a slow pan across intricate patterns on a sand dune in death valley) to the following:
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Anyway, for now I think I'm content with using the m2v proxies as a big chunk of the clips are fairly smooth, and using a reduced quality display mode for clips that don't play as smoothly is accpeptable for now. At least so far I'm not seeing the hanging/video not displaying (and instead showing a green screen) that I was with the mp4 proxies.
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Best video card for my mac

Hey,
I just need help finding the best video card for my Powermac g4 fw800. One that my system can use fully. I currently have a Radeon 9000Pro with 64MB. Thanks
~R

Hi
The ATI 9800-256MB is currently the best card for your system. Actually, there are no other NEW video cards available.
BTW, xlr8yourmac hasn't done a video card review in years, they are just a bulletin board/newsletter now. If you are interested in seeing current testing of available video cards, check out:
http://www.barefeats.com/rad98pro.html
Regards,
Dave

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Kindly and in simple terms state the best possible settings to be use when converting videos for the iPad that optimizes the entire screen size/ area without a black borderline around your video. it's rather frustrating to have many technical jargons online without anyone giving real pointers at real values in conversion settings.
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Hello
What is the best (most modern and reliable) video card (AGP) which will work in a 1.6GHz PowerPC G5 (mid 2003)?
I believe I have ATY,RV350, and according to the attached article, it may be causing video start up problems.
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See japamacs page here on the best AGP cards for G4s & G5s...
http://www.jcsenterprises.com/Japamacs_Page/Blog/4B4B7BA2-7ABB-47F1-87AC-B03D379 42BEE.html
Rated slowest on top, fastest on bottom.
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Well, if you go to Adobe's hardware compatibility page is does list the 7800 as being fully supported:
http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/search_result.html?manuSearchVar=1&modelSearchVar=0 &supportSearchVar=0&brand=&dataFormat=&version=CS3&device=graphic&format=
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http://insidehpc.com/2006/11/10/what-is-cuda/
This could still be a year or two away, so if you think you may upgrade your video card again before that time, you may want to stick with the 7800 for now.

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Hi
Which is for you the best video card built for Macpro to use with Aperture, excluding the1,5GB card from Apple store?
The 8800GT 512 is great one?
I think I'll use in future with an Apple cinema display 23".
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Koferc

Barefeats seems to like the Radeon HD 3870 Mac for the Mac Pros. I ordered my MP with the 8800 GT upgrade, but as steebow posted above it appears the ATI has better drivers, so that the 3870 upgrade seems to be the way to go. Aperture was not tested, but in other Core Image tests it seems to do better on the 3870:
http://www.barefeats.com/harper16.html
Here's a recent test of 10.55 compared to 10.5.4 for the two cards as well:
http://www.barefeats.com/harper20.html
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Thanks,
Jeff

Hi-
The best is probably the one that you can find..... getting hard to find Mac 8x AGP cards.....
Best OEM cards are (were) Radeon 850XT, Radeon X800XT, Geforce 6800 Ultra and Geforce 6800 GT, in order from fastest.
X800 vs. others
Now, most options are the above, used, or, flashed PC cards. PC cards include the above, but have one faster than even the X850XT- the Geforce 7800 GS.
7800 GS in a G5

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I have found a lot of posts regarding all kinds of troubles with ATI READEON X1900 video card.
When I talked to people from Apple, trying to decide which videocard to install in new MAC PRO, Ati Radeon X1900 was the one they did recommand for FCP and Motion. So are there any other cards which would actually suite better for Final Cut Studio2, or is Ati Radeon X1900 really the one to go with?
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Techreport has some more information on the new 55nm Radeon (X3000) which should be another "mid November" releases, as well as an updated 8800 GT that still is under wraps.
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Drivers for graphics controllers may or may not need the work that sometimes seems to plague companies.

What's the best video card for both Premiere and AE on an iMac?

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We love it when people want us to guess what video card and other items you have .... price is no object of course right.... and you want CUDA? so that means a GTX this time instead of what you have (5770 upgrade? no, the original 2600XT that really should have been ditched long ago).
Yosemite also makes more demands on the GPU.
The GTX 680 Mac Edition EVGA would be the first, though people are using even newer graphic cards in the Nvidia line.
New Nvidia GTX 970 and 980 - cMP? ( 1 2 3 4 5 6)

What is the best video card for late 2003 PM G4 MDD'?

I, currently, use an ATI 9600 PC/Mac edition 256 MB card in this Mac.
It's performance is okay for most things except for 720p video.
I know it will never be possible for this old workhouse to view and play 1080p video, but I am on the hunt
For a better card that may get me better streaming and playback of 720p video as well as better/faster capatibilty on
OS X 10.5.8.

Does this particular card need additonal power from the power supply?
Yes.
If so, where does this plug into?
Pull it from a hard drive power connector or use a Molex splitter if all are in use.
Is the MDD power supply able to handle extra powering of a video card?
Yes.
the instructions mention using this card with a PCI slot cooler?
Optional, but due to the MDD being a hot beast not a bad idea.
Are these cheap and where can I purchase, easily either from electronics chain or internet?
Cheap and easy.
http://www.xoxide.com/thermaltake-cyclo-blue-slotcooler.html
Can this card be used without it or the temps inside the MDD be too high.
YMMV. Depends on how hot the MDD runs and how far overclocked the X3 is.
My experience with video cards is , usually, plug and play made for Mac cards.
This ain't a Mac card. It's a hacked for Mac card. Things are different on the dark side, and usually a lot faster.....
Can the slot cooler be placed in any open PCI slot?
Yes.
Does it have to be near the video card?
Doesn't matter. It's there to help with the MDD heat issues.
Where does this plug in to get power to the fan?
Same as the graphics card with the same answer regarding PSU ability, etc., etc.
Will I have to move PCI cards around to install the slot cooler?
Dunno. Ain't seen inside your machine.
Will this fan make my MDD even more noisier than it is now.
Add two fans, likely.
The linked PCI cooler isn't loud, and the X3 is only loud running full tilt.
The MDD's regular fans never power down.
Doe you use CHUD and Nap mode? If not, your wrong.....
567DFEE3-A0A8-4602-9722-FCFCD76D8837.html
Need some help from all of you and maybe some procedures and pics of an actual installation.
You're asking an awful lot, especially since you gave the points to the guys that don't put any work (or money) into this subject....

Best Video Card for the G5?

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